CHENNAI: Ahead of the soon-to-be-announced Assembly poll dates, the State government has directed officials to clear all pending files by March 6.
Senior officials said departments have been instructed to expedite the processing of files, particularly those related to tenders and administrative approvals. "We have been asked to clear all files that are circulating across various sections in the Secretariat by March 6. Officials in key departments such as PWD, Highways and Social Welfare are working on a war footing," a senior official said.
The move comes amid indications that the Election Commission of India (ECI) may announce the poll schedule in the second week of March. Once the dates are declared, the Model Code of Conduct will come into force, restricting new policy decisions and approvals.
An ECI official said the Commission would hold consultative meetings with officials in Kerala on March 5 and 6. "After completing the review in poll-bound states, the schedule for elections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Assam and West Bengal is likely to be announced," the official said.
Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has allotted 50 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to Tamil Nadu for election duty. The contingents are expected to arrive in the State on March 10.
Sources in the Election Department indicated that the press conference to announce the poll dates could take place on March 9 or 10.